Fans open up, analyzing the reasons why Muangthong lost focus and has sunk near the bottom, risking relegation in the Thai League.
On 26 Jan 2026 GMT+7, the situation of the “Kilen Phayong” Muangthong United, a four-time Thai League champion, remains very concerning after they recently lost at home 1-3 to Rayong FC on 25 Jan 2026 GMT+7, marking their fifth consecutive defeat in this Thai League season.
Following these results, Muangthong has played 18 matches, earning only 13 points, placing them 15th, second from bottom. They are 2 points behind Lamphun Warrior, who is 13th and in the safe zone, with 12 matches remaining this season, forcing Muangthong to fight hard to avoid relegation.
. . .The program“Clear Rim Sen Thai Football” on the Thairath Sport YouTube channel intensively discussed Muangthong’s crisis. Hosts Jay Worapat Bubble and Big Champ talked with “Liao Na Muangthong” to analyze why the four-time champions have fallen into this difficult position after a decade without a league title.
Liao Na Muangthong pointed out that the main problem is the continuous loss of key players every season without finding quality replacements, along with frequent coaching changes, which clearly disrupt the team's continuity.
“This year it’s very clear. We lost Picha Autra and Poramet Arjvirai, especially Picha, who left a big gap in the midfield. The young players promoted are talented but still lack the experience to match more seasoned teams.”
He also criticized the recruitment of foreign players who lack readiness; many have been out of play for a long time and need time to recover before they can perform. This has led fans to say “Thai players have to carry the foreign players,” a long-standing problem now clearly impacting this season.
Another key issue is the recent coaching change during the relegation battle, opting for a foreign coach with no Thai football experience, no previous work in the Thai League, and unfamiliarity with Thai players, which is seen as a significant risk.
“I don’t know if the coach understands that we are fighting relegation and need to play cautiously for points, but in the last 3-4 games, he has stuck to normal attacking play. Maybe he is an offensive-style coach.”
He cited past examples where, even during relegation struggles, Muangthong had coaches who understood Thai football context and knew how to keep the team afloat, unlike the current situation where both coach and most players are new and inexperienced in tough Thai League matches.
From the fans’ perspective, although they have accepted for some time that Muangthong is no longer a title contender as in the past, the worrying factor is the continual decline in performance without clear signs of improvement.
“Honestly, right now it feels like the team is just going through the motions. Performance has dropped, and there’s nothing indicating it will get better,” a Muangthong fan frankly concluded.